New Voice Services to support improved connection and stronger safeguarding in the classroom

RM Education has today (18 Nov) announced its new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, which will provide schools with internet-enabled phone lines, getting them ready for 2025 when Openreach switches off all PSTN lines.

In tandem, RM Education will deliver a suite of safeguarding tools to ensure better pupil safety.

The fully managed VoIP offering will provide schools with a hassle-free phone service, and unlike traditional phone lines, the VoIP internet phone line will enable schools to manage and make more phone calls at the same time with the same line. As part of the service, schools will receive free handsets and free replacement handsets for the duration of the contract and better quality, more reliable and unlimited phone calls.

In addition, through opting for RM Voice Services, schools will also be able to use a suite of safeguarding tools to provide enhanced pupil and teacher safety including:

• Emergency Broadcasts – which will allow schools to send out a message to all phones in the event of an emergency. Whole school alerting also includes the use of internal calls between classrooms and the school, whereby teachers can request extra support if there’s a safeguarding or medical emergency where the teacher cannot leave the class, for example.
• Wellbeing line – schools will have access to an anonymous automated line which can help members of the school body talk about difficulties or issues they’re experiencing which impact their wellbeing. For example, pupils who want to talk about being bullied but don’t want to be identified. The recorded message is then sent to the appropriate people within the school as an email attachment where they can review and action as appropriate.
• Fraud Monitoring – RM’s in-built fraud monitoring and detection system continually checks the platform for unusual call patterns and proactively alerts schools to ensure they remain in control, safe and don’t receive any unexpected bills.

Commenting on the new offering, John Srawley, Head of Connectivity Services at RM Education said:

“With Openreach announcing that by 2025 all copper phone lines will be switched off, it’s crucial that schools start planning now and review their phone services to ensure that they are ready. It is important that this process isn’t rushed to avoid schools being caught out. This is an opportunity to not only set up a new phone line, but also think about how they can use it to better support pupils, teachers and staff.

“There is an array of options available to schools to help them better communicate with parents, ease workloads by better managing inbound calls, as well as the critical support that can be provided to pupils in need and teachers in the classroom when they need help. Something as simple as a phone line can create real change in the lives of teachers and pupils, making it easier for teachers in the classroom to get support when they need it, as well as a place for pupils when they need assistance but don’t know who to turn to.”